Pettini took over the Essex captaincy in July 2007 (Getty)

Essex captain Mark Pettini feels proud to be following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors.

The 24-year-old is embarking on his first full season as team captain, having succeeded Ronnie Irani mid-way through last year's campaign.

Pettini told BBC Essex: "Your photo is alongside the likes of Nasser, Ronnie, Graham Gooch and Keith Fletcher.

"[Being with] all those fantastically famous names that have come out of Essex really does make you very proud."

When Pettini was handed the captaincy he became the youngest captain in county cricket, but he's adamant his age hasn't been a problem with his more experienced team-mates.

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"It's one of those things that you're aware of as a young captain," he admitted. "You're aware there are guys like Andy Bichel and Danish Kaneria who've obviously played a lot more cricket than I have.

"I think the lucky thing for me is that the characters of those guys are such that the last thing they would ever do is make it difficult for me or to be anything other than helpful."

Pettini and his Essex colleagues get their County Championship campaign under way against Northampton on 16 April.